DiMarzio DP223F PAF F-Spaced Pickup

There was no such thing as a "neck" or "bridge" humbucker in the 1950s, but there was a wide range of performance between individual pickups which made some better suited to one position. Some of the old pickups had a lot of wire on the coils, which created more power and a warmer tone. DiMarzio used technology to duplicate these qualities -- without sacrificing the presence and open sound of the best vintage humbuckers -- to bring you the PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge Model, a hotter version of their PAF 36th Anniversary. This version, the DP223F, is specially designed for F-spaced guitars, including many Fender guitars and other guitars with a little extra space between strings.

Not just for set-neck 24-3/4 inch scale guitars, the 36th Anniversary Bridge Model is also an excellent bridge pickup for trem-equipped bolt-ons. Want to go totally retro? The PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge Model in standard spacing is also available with authentic vintage bobbins in glossy black, glossy double cream or glossy black & cream zebra.

Recommended For: Bridge position, can also be used in neck position with hotter bridge models.

Tech Talk: The PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge model has the best qualities of the Virtual PAF bridge and Virtual Hot PAF pickups and then some. It's as loud as the VHPAF, but has as much low-end and midrange definition as the VPAF bridge model. The highs are actually bigger and smoother than either model. The 4-conductor version also splits very well. Single-coil mode is bright, but not at all sterile-sounding.

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"Warning pickup to avoid like the plague. A cautionary tale"

Overall:
I have been playing guitar for 45 years professionally. I have owned many quality guitars and occasionally done my own repairs and upgrades to my instruments. But generally leave it to the real pros for my guitar work. This is just to let you know I am not an amateur, that my experience and expertise is extensive.
I recently purchased a PRS Single cut SE for playing live. Not the quality of my Gibson Les Paul Custom, but a less expensive quality guitar that could take the rigors of live performance and still sound good.
I decided to upgrade the stock pickups to get a better quality sound. I heard the Gibson 57' Classic, Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan were all about the same. (NOT! Read on.)
I looked at the price of all 3 brands and decided on the Dimarzio DP103 and DP223. The Gibson's were twice price. I then had the best guitar work guy in the state install the new Dimarzio pickups.
I soon discovered why there was such a price difference between Gibson and Dimarzio. And it is NOT just the name brand thing. The Dimarzio DP 103 and DP 223 pickups are poor at best. And that's being way to kind.
The pickups are very thin sounding, no warmth, no bottom end, no roundness! They were so trebly and "twangy" sounding that the guitar sounded more like a really cheap single coil Squire Stratocaster than a PRS with Humbucker's. Frankly, Dimarzio pickups do not rate the one star.
But it gets worse. Read on.
One of the reasons I chose the Dimazio was they have an "exchange" program. Supposedly if you are unhappy with the product they will exchange for a different pickup. Yeah right!
So I called Dimarzio and spoke to their "tech support" guy. I politely explained the pickups were just not the sound I expected and would like to exchange them for one of their other pickup models. From the start, he was extremely rude. I was told there was nothing wrong with the pickups and there was no way Dimarzio would exchange them. Period!
I politely asked again, saying that I really needed to exchange them and was there someone in management that I could appeal to for an exchange. The Dimarzio "tech support" guy replied NO! “Not going to happen”. Period! Without a doubt this was the rudest and worse support I have ever encountered in my musical career. (I suspect they only have one "support guy" too. I finally advised him, I would probably have to return them to the retailer then. He said "You do what you have to do", And then he hung up on me.
So that's just what I did. I returned them. The retailer was awesome. I had no such problems with them and an exchange. They happily exchanged them for the Gibson 57' Classic and Classic plus no problem. And WOW! What a Difference. Pay the extra amount for the Gibson 57' Classic's. They have an incredible sounding pickup that just keeps giving. Worth every penney. Just go read the reviews on the Gibson 57's. They are all true.
Avoid Dimarzio products like the plague. Trust me. This is THE review to read if you are considering Dimarzio pickups. Buyer beware, you get what you pay for.

Return Exception
This item cannot be returned once opened due to the possibility that it has been used. details

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